The Xiaomi 18 Ultra has reportedly been cancelled before launch due to concerns over its expected price. A reliable tipster’s post on X shares that Xiaomi had planned a camera-focused flagship with three 200MP cameras and other high-end hardware. For context, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra (review) currently costs Rs 1,39,999 in India, so the 18 Ultra could have been an even more expensive launch. Let’s look at it in more detail below.
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Xiaomi 18 Ultra had some major upgrades planned
According to an X post, reliable tipster Digital Chat Station claims that Xiaomi had planned the 18 Ultra with an ambitious camera setup but cancelled it because the expected price was too high. These details remain unconfirmed, naturally, so they should be treated as a rumour for now.
The Xiaomi 18 Ultra reportedly would feature three 200MP cameras, including a 1/1.12-inch LOFIC main sensor, a 1/1.56-inch ultrawide camera and a 1/1.28-inch periscope telephoto camera with continuous optical zoom. The periscope sensor would have been larger than the 1/1.4-inch sensor on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, which could have helped improve image quality at higher zoom levels and richer details at the optical length shot.
Xiaomi 18 Ultra has been cancelled, and its specs just leaked 👀 As per Digital Chat Station, Xiaomi planned a crazy camera phone but killed it because the price would have been too high. – Three 200MP cameras – 1/1.12 inch LOFIC main camera, a new sensor tech that keeps bright skies and lights from getting blown out – 1/1.28 inch periscope with continuous optical zoom, up from 1/1.4 inch on the 17 Ultra – Flat display with 1mm bezels on all four sides – Benchmark score above 5 million So this time there is no Ultra. Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max already launched in China last month, and the standard Xiaomi 18 is expected in December. Ultra is expected to return with Xiaomi 19 Ultra.
— Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd) October 5, 2026
The LOFIC sensor helps handle bright areas better, which should retain more detail in scenes with harsh lights or bright skies. The phone was also tipped to feature a flat display with 1mm bezels and a benchmark score above 5 million.
The reported pricing, however, may have played a major role in the cancellation. The leaked configuration reportedly cost CNY 10,000, approximately Rs 1.4 lakh before taxes and other related costs. That would make it even more expensive than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra (review), which currently costs Rs 1,39,999 in India.
I could not locate Digital Chat Station’s original Weibo post, so it remains unclear whether the tipster still stands by the claim that Xiaomi cancelled the 18 Ultra. For now, the cancellation and the reported reasons behind it seem plausible, but Xiaomi has not confirmed anything officially.
Why is the Xiaomi 18 Ultra more expensive?
With memory and storage costs making the situation worse already, brands have raised prices across segments this year to remain profitable. Flagship phones also top-end processors, memory, storage and camera hardware, all of which are expensive components on their own, so manufacturers have fewer ways to absorb these higher costs.
The reported CNY 9,999 price is certainly high, but buyers of top-end camera phones usually care more about camera performance than price. If Xiaomi’s reported upgrades proved worthwhile, some enthusiasts could still be willing to pay more.
The Xiaomi 18 Ultra is not the only high-end smartphone facing launch uncertainty, particularly in India. The iQOO 16 has yet to receive an official India launch confirmation, despite its global variant reportedly appearing on Geekbench, largely due to its high potential launch pricing.
This could become a bigger issue for ultra-flagship phones as their prices continue to rise. Brands may have to think more carefully about whether these expensive flagship models can find enough buyers outside their home markets.
